Temperature control for your garage

Summer is coming and that probably has you thinking about the many ways you use your garage. Yours may be your workspace for keeping up with car maintenance or woodworking. Maybe it’s an extension of your living space serving as an exercise room or gathering place for friends.
Whatever your preference, if you are using your garage as more than a place to store tools and your car, you know that when summer temperatures climb, it can become unbearably hot—as much as 15 degrees warmer than the outside air. Temperature control is crucial, but the good news is you have many options that fit a full range of budgets.

How to cool down your garage

• Don’t park your car in the garage when you return home. A car that’s been running is hot, even in cooler weather, but on a hot summer day it will really heat up your garage. Move the car into the garage after it has cooled off.
• Open the door and any windows to pull outside air in and keep it moving. Although the air is warm, moving air feels a lot cooler. DO NOT open the door to your house if your garage is attached. You will get little benefit from the air conditioning in your home and you could allow harmful fumes into your living space.
• Use a free-standing fan to keep air moving and set it near an open window to draw cooler air into the garage.
• If your garage has at least 8-foot ceilings, a ceiling fan is a great option. Consult with an expert to determine the size fan you need for your garage space and to ensure proper clearance for the fan blades.
• Use a dehumidifier to reduce the moisture in the air and make it more comfortable.
• Install a roof ventilation system if your garage doesn’t have one. Spinning turbine roof vents use almost no energy to cool the attic space in your garage, keeping the main area cooler.

If you use your garage as an extension of your living space, you may want to consider insulation and/or connecting your garage to your home’s HVAC system. Even if you don’t run air conditioning or heat into your garage, blanket or blown-in insulation are extremely effective at keeping temperatures more moderate inside whether it is hot or cold outside.

Is running air conditioning into your garage too costly, or does the construction design of your home and garage make it impossible? Portable floor air conditioners and window air conditioners are great options for cooling your garage. Be sure to insulate first to get the most from one of these units.

Whatever method you choose to cool your garage, remember your garage door plays a big role in keeping this space comfortable and safe. Be sure to get your door serviced by a professional and check it regularly for worn weather stripping.

If you have an older garage door, consider replacing it. Newer models are better insulated and designed to maintain better temperature control in your garage. For west-facing doors, look at lighter colors that will reflect sunlight away from your garage and help keep inside temperatures lower.

For more information about modern garage doors that improve the versatility of your garage, contact the experts at Above & Beyond Door Systems.